One Time
by Light of Polaris
Summary: Kagome Inoue was adopted to the U.S. when she was just a toddler but she'd always felt something was missing in her life. When she decides go to a high school in Japan for a year, she's hoping that she'll find out what that is. But when she starts seeing creatures that no one else seems to notice, her clouded origins become the least of her worries...Parallel Universe AU InuXKag
1. Arrival

Hello, I decided to binge watch Inuyasha again and got the inspiration for this story. I'm hoping you'll like it! If you do, please don't hesitate to leave me a review. If you don't, I'd like to know what you don't like. Have fun and enjoy!

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Prologue

A powerful demon disguised as a man sat scheming in his poisonous castle. A young girl stood before him with a mirror in her hands. But instead of the demon's reflection, there was another image on its surface. The demon observed as a teenage girl dressed in a strange green and white outfit disappeared over the lip of a well with a large backpack on her shoulders. This was not the first time the demon had witnessed this action. He had watched the girl jump down and then reappear anywhere from hours to days later. It had intrigued him. He had always wondered how the reincarnation of that woman had ended up there, especially with objects as foreign as she possessed. It was almost as if she had come from another time. A future time. A slow smile began to form on the demon's face. It held all the chill and foreboding of great evil.

"Kagura," he said to one of his demon offspring, "put this inside that girl's bag."

"And then what?" She asked him.

"After she has gone through the well, destroy it," he instructed. His offspring took the object from the demon and took off on a feather she had pulled from her hair.

She landed near the well and waited. It would not do to sneak around the village of the one she sought or she could be spotted. She used her wind to keep the scent of her master in the opposite direction so she would not be discovered by keen noses.

It did not take very long. When morning arrived, the demon woman watched as the girl climbed the hill alone to the well. Just as the girl was about the jump over the edge, the wind sorceress placed the object she was given in the girl's backpack. She was so quick and her touch so light that the girl didn't even notice. Then when the girl had disappeared, the demon's offspring used her fan and destroyed the well with powerful gusts of wind. It crumbled into the ground and was no more. On the other side, the object in the girl's backpack exploded and that well also collapsed. The Bone Eater's well was gone: erased from existence along with all the adventures of the curious girl in a time not her own.

Chapter One: Arrival

"Please wait for the passenger door to open before disembarking. Those towards the back of plane please wait until all the passengers in front of you have removed their luggage from the overhead compartments before retrieving your own. Thank you for flying China Airlines and I hope you enjoy your time in Tokyo!"

Kagome sighed. The flight had already been longer than she could have imagined and now she would have to wait even longer before she got off this cramped plane. Not only did she fly economy class, but her tickets put her right at the very back of the plane. So as she waited for every other person on the plane to leave, she found herself fuming about the situation once again. It's not like her parents couldn't have afforded a better seat for her. Kagome closed her eyes in frustration as the memory of two days ago came back to her.

" _Hey okaa-san, where's my flight information?" Kagome asked as she came downstairs from her room._

 _An unusually tall women with classic Japanese features looked up from the kitchen table where she sat. Her long black hair was pulled into a low ponytail and her brown eyes were confused. In her hands she held a needle and before her on the table was a purple and white kimono. It belonged to one of the employees that worked at the ramen restaurant they owned in Japantown._

" _What?" she answered._

" _My flight information. You know, for when I leave in two days? I thought it'd be in otou-san's office but it's not there," Kagome said. She tapped her fingers against her leg. She was overwhelmed with the amount of packing she still had to do and she wanted to know how much time exactly she had to get it done._

 _Her mother dropped the needle and said, "Oh dear."_

" _Oh dear?" Kagome had a horrible sinking feeling. "What does that mean?"_

" _I-I never booked the flight," she said. She shifted guiltily in her chair._

" _Okaa-san, please tell me you're joking." This could not happen. It just couldn't._

" _I'm sorry, the restaurant has been really busy lately with the influx of summer tourists that it slipped my mind!" Her mother tried to defend herself but both of them knew it was just an excuse. Her mother didn't want to admit it but she had dragged her feet about Kagome's decision to study abroad. It wasn't that it slipped her mind, she'd intentionally pushed it out of her thoughts._

" _School starts in four days. I need a flight NOW," Kagome turned and stomped back up the stairs to her room. She looked at the mess her room had become in her packing endeavor. When you were leaving home for an entire year, it was hard to figure out what you were going to need, what you thought you'd need, and what you weren't going to realize you needed until you left without it. She'd spent the past few days packing and re-packing. She was finally making some headway when this bombshell got dropped on her head._

 _She felt the urge to throw her suitcase out the window_. _Why had her parents been so against this? She just wanted to go back to the country she was born in. She was curious, that was all. Why were they so worried? She flopped down on her bed and stewed about it until she heard a soft knock on the door. She looked up to see her mother open it and come in. Her mother always walked with careful grace and even though her floor was a veritable minefield, it never changed as she came and sat down on the bed next to Kagome._

" _I'm sorry, dear. I really am. We're just a little apprehensive." She sighed. "But I should have booked your plane tickets. I knew it was actually happening but I thought if I pretended it wasn't, it wouldn't."_

" _I don't understand, what's so bad about me going to Japan? Your parents we're born there, dad was born there, and so was I!"_

" _Oh sweetie, I know. We just…we love you so much. We're scared. You're going there all alone," she said. It was a reasonable answer but Kagome always knew when her mother was hiding something._

" _There's another reason, isn't there?"_

 _Her mother hesitated. "Kagome, are you….are you going to look for your….your other family?"_

 _Kagome had never seen her mother so nervous before. She looked…breakable. Kagome couldn't deny that finding her birth family had been part her desire to go to Japan but it was also stemming from a long held wish to understand the country she came from. It felt like something was missing in her life. She thought perhaps she'd find it in Japan._

" _I don't know. I might." Suddenly, Kagome realized why her parents were so hesitant. "Okaa-san, you don't think…that I'd abandon you?"_

" _No, of course not. We just…maybe you'd want to stay there, if you met them." I hugged my mother around the middle and she stiffened, startled at the contact. Her mother was shy when it came to physical affection._

" _I would never do that," Kagome assured her._

" _That's good."_ _Her mother covered her mouth and coughed delicately before adding, "_ _And I've booked your tickets," she said. Kagome released her and pulled back to look at her mother's face. A smile spread across Kagome's face._

" _Really?" she said. Everything would be OK after all!_

" _Yes, but…" Her mother hesitated._

" _But what?" The smile dimmed._

" _All the flights were booked but one."_

" _And? What's the problem?"_

" _It was almost full too so there were only a few seats left."_

" _Okaa-san…."_

" _It's economy class. The back of economy class."_

By the time Kagome got off the plane, her patience was thinner than ice. Her flight had not only been horrible but it was also long. Even though San Francisco was on the West Coast, there was still an entire ocean to cross. People had been noisy, the air conditioner was weak if it was there at all, and the restrooms had been right next to her. There were some smells even the most powerful air freshener couldn't cover up. Still, there was tiniest bit of excitement as she stepped out into the terminal area. It grew larger as she walked through the large open hallways, following the signs for the baggage check.

Narita International Airport, like most international airports, was really big. It took her a while to find the baggage check, even longer to pick it up and put it on a trolley, and then she had to find the Keisei Electric Railway. Since it was nighttime, there wasn't any point in taking her time to look out the windows and sightsee so she completed her tasks at a quick clip. Besides, the family she'd be staying with was going to meet her when she got off the train. She'd rather not make them wait.

She'd already exchanged her money back in SF so she bought her ticket and boarded the train. She opened up her phone and found that it had already adjusted to the time zone and was surprised to see that it was 20:14 (8:14pm). She had left at 19:00. She shook her head. Time zones…

 _Okaa-san, I've landed safely. I'm on the train to meet the family I'm staying with._ Her parents had already set her up with a phone that could communicate internationally, mostly so that she could send this text.

Her reply was quick: _I'm glad. Let me know how they are. I want to know my daughter is in good hands._

 _Don't worry I will._

She then looked up the number she was given for her caregivers and sent them a text too but this time, in Japanese. (AN: Assume when she's talking to her parents, it's English with some Japanese. But from here on after it's Japanese unless I say otherwise.)

 _Hello! This is Kagome Inoue. I have arrived safely and am on the train. I can't wait to meet you!_

This reply also came quickly: _Hello Kagome! We can't wait to meet you as well! My husband and daughter will be there to meet you when you get off. They'll be holding a sign with your name so it should be to find them._

 _Oh, that's very convenient! Thank you very much!_

 _Don't worry about it. Would you like something to eat when you get here or would like to go right to sleep?_

Kagome took a moment to see how she was feeling. She felt the weight of exhaustion in her limbs and realized that she was not only tired, but _really_ tired. She must have been running on pure excitement and adrenaline up until now.

 _I'm sorry, I think I should go right to sleep. I'm exhausted._

 _No problem! I'll lay a futon out for you._

 _Thank you so much!_

Kagome got the impression she would be much welcomed when she got in her temporary home. It wasn't that surprisingly, really, if she thought about it. She was sure they did screenings and interviews for families that wanted to participate in the program. It made sense.

She went to put her phone in her pocket and her fingers brushed against a piece of paper. She took out the crumpled thing and flattened it out again. Her parents and slipped into her hands before she went through security at the airport.

" _Here Kagome, I know you won't be able to help yourself so we might as well make it easier." Her father said as he handed her a small square of folded paper. He wasn't a short man but he was shorter than his wife and the same height as Kagome. So it was easy to lean forward and give her a kiss on the cheek. Another rare instance of physical affection._

" _What is it?" She asked._

" _The names of your birth parents," her mother said._

" _You're too curious for your own good," her father smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Just promise us that you'll call when you find them."_

" _I promise. Thank you." Kagome's eyes teared up sensing it was the moment to say goodbye. "I love you both so much." Then she turned away and walked towards the metal detectors. She let herself look back only once and saw her mother awkwardly bent with her head on her husband's shoulder. Her mother's own shoulders were shaking. She was crying. Kagome made a fist, crushing the paper held within and boarded the plane with a heavy heart. Her parents were her parents. Even if she found her birth family, that fact would never change._

She had waited until she was half-way over the Pacific before opening the paper. She had already memorized the characters but she read them over again trying to picture faces behind the names. Asako Higurashi. Yuji Higurashi.

What would it be like to meet them? Would she ask all of her questions about why they gave her up? Or would she just break down in tears as they hugged their long-lost daughter? Would they even want to see her? Her parents were right. She was too curious. She would have gone looking for them even if she had sworn up and down that she wouldn't.

She'd find them. Even if it took her the whole year.

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So what did you think of the first chapter? I know it might be a little slow but I'm hoping to pick up the pace in a few chapters. Which I already have mostly written. I'm not sure when I'll post them though. I guess that's up to you guys XD


	2. New World

So I guess patience isn't my strong suit when it comes to these things. Even though no one has reviewed yet, here's chapter 2. As soon as I'm done editing it, ch. 3 is also going up XD I'm kind of writing this just for fun and a little practice but I if you really like it, make sure to let me know. If there's at least one person, I'll probably keep up with it. Enjoy!

New World

There was a sign, as promised. Kagome never would have missed it. It was big and really really colorful. Her name was written in large neat characters. Everything around it was an explosion of stars, hearts, and smiley faces. She supposed that the little girl standing next to the man hold the sign was probably the artist. She was a small girl, maybe about 6 or 7, and she was wearing an orange and white checkered kimono with a purple obi. The man, her father, was wearing casual clothes and smiled as Kagome approached them.

"Hello, I'm Kagome Inoue," she introduced. The man put down his sign and held out a hand. Kagome took it with two hands, as was polite, and they shook.

"I'm Haru Fujimoto and this is my daughter Yui," he said. Just then Kagome felt a tug on her shirt. She turned her head down and looked straight into the excited brown eyes of Yui.

"Hello there, it's nice to meet you," she said.

"Daddy, she's pretty!" The little girl squealed. Kagome felt her face warm. Mr. Fujimoto laughed.

"Well, thank you. You look very pretty too! That kimono is gorgeous!" Kagome returned the compliment. The little girl smiled wider.

"My mommy made it. I wore it just to show you!"

"Aw, that's so sweet!" This girl was adorable! Kagome's parents had never adopted any other children nor could they have their own, so Kagome had grown up an only child. But somehow, she instinctively fell into older sister role with Yui.

"Well, I think you both need to get to sleep so let's get your stuff up to the taxi," Mr. Fujimoto said as he took both her suitcases from her. She was grateful since her limbs were starting to feel like lead. As she moved to follow after him, she felt a small hand slip into hers. She didn't have to look down to know it was Yui and she closed her own fingers around the girl's. It was nice.

But as they walked she started to get the feeling that something wasn't right. Something felt off. She looked around the station but everything seemed normal. So she kept walking. But the sensation got worse. She looked around again. All normal. That is, until she blinked. In the second before her eyes closed again, some of the people didn't look like _people._ They looked like _monsters_. But then the moment was over and everything was the way it once was. Except Kagome's state of mind. What was that? Was it her imagination?

"Kagome?" Yui asked. "What's wrong?" The little girl was looking up at her curiously and Kagome realized she had stopped walking. Mr. Fujimoto was a ways ahead and hadn't noticed they were falling behind.

"It's nothing," she said as she pulled Yui as fast as the little girl could go until they had caught up with her father. Her put the suitcases in the car and they were off.

The car ride pretty long and Kagome didn't remember much of it. She hadn't fallen asleep but she kept her eyes closed most of the time. Besides, she'd be here for a year, there would be plenty of opportunities to site see. Mr. Fujimoto had mostly kept quiet for which she was grateful. She didn't think she was up for small talk at the moment. Eventually they pulled up in front of a tall apartment building. It was about eight stories tall and was wide enough to fit four windows and balconies at even intervals along its front. It looked quite a bit older than the buildings on either side but Kagome wasn't bothered. She found comfort in older things. Something about them made her feel more at peace.

Yui had fallen asleep during the car ride so Mr. Fujimoto had apologized as he only took one of her suitcases so that he could carry Yui in the other hand. He must work out for him to pull that off, she noted. She didn't mind though. She'd felt bad about him taking both anyway.

He led her inside and they took an elevator up to the 5th floor. They stepped out into a hallway decorated with potted plants and floral portraits. It smelt oddly of cinnamon. They walked past other apartment doors until they stood outside number 504.

"Kagome, I'm sorry, but could you knock on the door for me?" Mr. Fujimoto asked.

"Oh, sure, no problem," she said as she stepped up and knocked on the door. After a few seconds they heard and bang and a small crash before the door opened and a short woman with a kind face stood before them.

"Welcome!" The woman, Mrs. Fujimoto, said as she grabbed Kagome and dragged her in. Mr. Fujimoto with Yui came in behind her and they shut the door. They had all just taken off their shoes to enter the house when Kagome suddenly found a pair of indoor slippers in her face. "These are a gift for you!"

They were blue with little white cartoon cats. The style reminded her of Adidas but these were much cuter.

"Wow, thank you very much!" She said as she put them on. They were quite comfortable. And she bet they were also quite expensive. She knew from growing up near a traditional Japanese community that it's rude not to accept gifts like these so she said nothing.

"Honey, I'm putting Yui to bed," Mr. Fujimoto said as he squeezed past them and went down the hallway to their right. Kagome took the opportunity to look around the place. Directly in front of her was a small room with a low table in the middle and a bookshelf up against the wall to the left. At the back, there was a doorway through which she could see a sink.

"Ok dear," she said and then looked back at Kagome. "You'd best get to sleep too. Follow me." She turn and went down the same hallway Mr. Fujimoto had. There were four doors with two on either side. The second one on the right is where Mrs. Fujimoto was standing. Kagome went down the hallway after Mrs. Fujimoto with her two heavy suitcases trailing behind her. Now that she was so close to a place to rest, it was getting harder to keep on her feet. Luckily, Mrs. Fujimoto simply showed her into the small room with a futon already set out and gave her directions to the bathroom (first one on the left) before bidding her goodnight.

Kagome was going to regret it in the morning, but she was too tired to brush her teeth or wash her face. She barely managed to send her mom a quick text: _Arrived. In bed. Too tired. Goodnight 3_

Then she was out.

oOoOoOoOo

 _There was a light. Pink. She could see it. But where was it. Why couldn't she feel anything? Everything was dark except for that pink light. She needed to get closer. She needed to hold it. It wanted to be held by her. It was calling for her. But she couldn't feel anything. She tried to move but there was no motion. The light didn't move. She willed it to come closer but it remained. How could she get closer? She need to get closer!_

She woke from her strange dream with heavy eyelids. Her mind was extremely groggy. It took her a while before she could find the strength to open her eyes.

"Ah!" she yelped. Any grogginess she'd had left vanished instantly when she'd found a face two inches from her own.

"Sorry Kagome," Yui said. "I didn't mean to scare you!"

"It's alright," Kagome said but internally she was still pretty freaked out. "What were you doing?"

"Oh well, your eyelashes are just so pretty and I wanted a closer look! Plus it's always fun when people breath on you because it tickles."

"Wow, that's really interesting," she said. Peculiar and perhaps strange was more like it. Were all young children like this?

"Oh and mom told me to tell you when you woke up that breakfast is ready." And then she took off down the hallway.

Kagome felt her stomach grumble. She needed food. But there was no way she was going to greet her hosts with bad breath and an unkempt appearance. She'd kept her toiletries in a big brown carry-on backpack so it was easy to get her stuff out. She used the toilet, brushed her teeth and hair, and washed her face. When she deemed that she was fit to be seen, she walked back towards the entryway and looked to her right. The family was sitting on the floor around the low four-sided table. Yui was eating, Mrs. Fujimoto was reading a book, and Mr. Fujimoto was fiddling with a child's electronic toy. There were mini-screwdrivers and other tools on the table in front of him.

"Good morning Kagome," Mrs. Fujimoto said when she noticed Kagome standing there. "Come sit down." She gestured to the only available side of the table where there was a meal set up. A bowl of steamed rice, grilled fish, tamagoyaki, and miso soup were all gathered together.

"I wasn't sure if you'd like traditional but I went for it anyway," Mrs. Fujimoto said as she poured Kagome a mug of tea and slid it over to her.

"Oh no, my dad makes it home for us sometimes. I really love it," I assured her. "It looks delicious!"

"I'm glad! Well, eat up then!"

"Thanks for the meal!" Kagome said as she slapped her palms together. She then picked up her chopped sticks and started eating. Everything was as good as it looked. For the soup, she couldn't tell whose was better: her father's or Mrs. Fujimoto. Considering her father was a traditional Japanese chef that owned a restaurant that specialized in soups, that was definitely saying something.

"So Kagome, I actually have a plan for us today." Kagome looked up at the woman with a mouthful of food. She hadn't thought much about what she'd do the day before school. She nodded to show she was listening rather than make an ugly display of her mushy food.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that you'll be needing some school supplies for tomorrow as well as your school uniform." Oh. Kagome had completely forgotten to pack her school supplies. She knew she had missed something. She finished the food in her mouth before responding.

"That sounds wonderful, actually. I completely forgot about them," she admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Not to worry, we'll head out just as soon as you're ready," she said.

Kagome finished her breakfast quick enough but hit a small snag when choosing her outfit for the day. Even though she was born in Japan, being raised in America had its effects on her. She had no idea what the fashions were like in Japan and she didn't want to stick out. She'd heard stories of kids bullying other kids for being of mixed blood or having an English name. Thankfully, she was neither but she'd still be ousted for living in America real quick if she didn't keep a low profile.

She eventually settle on a simple black skirt and a blue sweater. It was pretty warm when she left the airport last night so she didn't think the weather would be an issue and it seemed like a pretty calm outfit.

Mrs. Fujimoto was waiting for her in the entryway where they put on their shoes and headed downstairs and out of the building. On the sidewalk, Mrs. Fujimoto stepped up to the curb to wave down a cab.

"Mrs. Fujimoto?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"Is a taxi the only way to get around here?" If so, my parents were going to have to send me a bigger allowance.

"Of course not!" She laughed. "We're only taking the taxi to save time. You can get to most places just by walking but there's also the subway for longer distances. Your school is actually close enough for you to walk."

"Oh, that's great!" Walking was more of what she was used to back in San Francisco. She couldn't remember if she'd ever taken a cab at home.

"My husband and I have a gift to make it even easier too," she said as a taxi finally pulled up. _Another_ gift? Politeness indicated that she accept but wasn't there a limit somewhere?

Curious despite herself she asked, "What is it?"

As the older woman climbed into the car, she winked and said, "You'll see!"

oOoOoOoOo

Kagome was having that strange sensation again. When they'd first gotten to the small shopping mall, it had been a small buzzing feeling. But as they flitted from store to store, the feeling got stronger and stronger. It was at a point where Kagome couldn't ignore it.

They'd gotten everything Kagome needed. She had her school supplies, her uniform, and even a couple of casual outfits for days off. But evidently, not everything had been purchased yet. Mrs. Fujimoto had yet to find the 'gift' that she'd been looking for. She had dropped Kagome off with all her shopping bags near a collection of restaurants Kagome could only dub a 'food court'. The bags were spread out on the chairs around her.

She wished that they could have left by now. She didn't like this feeling. She had tried taking painkillers even though it wasn't really painful but they hadn't worked. She tapped her fingers on the table. She looked around the food court. Everything was fine. What was wrong with her? Should she go see a doctor? Where was this paranoia coming from? And then just like at the train station, she blinked and it all changed. Some people stayed the same but others suddenly morphed until she was no longer looking at humans but at the same sort of monsters she'd seen the day before. Some looked to be beasts. There were giant bug-looking things, small impish creatures, and even a overly large snake. Others still were slightly humanoid in shape but with claws, fangs, and pointed ears. It was unreal. Except this time she could no longer chalk it up to imagination. There were two reasons. One: No matter how many times she blinked, it didn't go away. Two: One of the monsters vaguely resembling a worm squeezed past her and she felt its slimy skin brush her shoulder. When she touched that very same spot, her hand came away covered in icky goo. Sure, she'd say she was creative but that would be on a whole other scale.

As she observed the new scene before her, she wondered if perhaps coming to Japan might have been a bit more than she bargained for.

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I have a question for anyone who's reading this. I've figured out what happened to all our favorite characters had Kagome never gone back in time. Do you guys want to know? I can post a blurb at the end of the chapters with the info. Let me know! Ok, bye.


	3. Old World

Because I'm sure everyone was wondering...here's the first Inuyasha POV. From here on I'll be switching between the two and possibly other characters as well. Enjoy!

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"Inuyasha, could you please introduce yourself?"

"Feh." Damn annoying teacher. She didn't have a clue.

"Inuyasha?" She faltered. He hadn't even turned his head. He just stared angrily out the window. He also seemed to be angry.

"Mrs. Sasaki, Inuyasha doesn't do introductions," a student in the front said quietly. There, at least _someone_ in this damn school knew not to bother him.

"Well, this school year that's going to change," she said. Inuyasha sighed. Another one that thought they could _change_ him. She'd learn soon enough.

She then went through the rest of the classes introductions and began talk about the importance of this year for grades and studying for tests that will determine the course of their futures….it all blended together because Inuyasha wasn't listening. His mind was elsewhere, in another time.

It was the first day of the new school year. While it was also Inuyasha's third year in high school, he had no interest in graduating or going to college. Come the next school year, he'd probably be right back in the first year if he didn't decide to go truant again. As it was, the option was sounding pretty tempting. He was getting pretty tired of the cycle. He had lost count of how many times he'd been through high school after it hit double digits. Each time he 'graduated', he started over from the beginning at a new school. It was tiresome but not as tiresome as explaining to people over and over again why a guy who looked like a teenager wasn't at school where he apparently should be.

After the teacher was done talking, she let them go. The entrance ceremony had already happened earlier that morning so the class was free for the day. Tomorrow the real classes would start. _Can't wait_ , Inuyasha thought with sarcasm.

The minute she had released them, he'd taken off like bullet. He hated this place, hated this time. He wished he could go back to when things were simpler. When he'd actually felt happy. Now he was always annoyed and irate. There was only one place where he felt calm now and that's where his feet carried him.

He jumped over the rooftops with the ease of someone with demon blood. Nobody noticed him, of course, even though he was wearing a red haori and had silver-white hair. Just like all the other demons, he'd learned how to disguise his demonic appearance when humans had started to overpopulate at dangerous levels. He even went to school like this. He didn't know what they saw when they looked at him but he assumed it wasn't a dog-eared half-demon with amber eyes.

Half-way to his destination, he stopped. He landed lightly on a railing that bordered a rooftop garden and breathed deep. There was a familiar smell in the air. It felt like he'd discover something important if he could just get closer to the source. He sniffed as best as he could but the worst part about the development of the city was all the smells it brought with it. He couldn't figure out what direction the it was coming from and soon it disappeared.

"Keh." It's not like he cared all that much. He was just bored. It was probably some demon he'd fought a while back or something. But Inuyasha couldn't help but doubt just a little bit. It smelled like someone he lost.

Inuyasha finally descended from the rooftops when he'd reached one of the only green areas in Tokyo. It looked out of place tucked between two skyscrapers but at the same time there was no other place for it. It was a small park by anyone's standards but Inuyasha didn't care. All he'd cared about when he bought the land a few centuries back was that it contained one thing.

There were no benches or flowerbeds. No fountains or bush sculptures. It was simply a square plot of forest and its center was a very tall tree. An ancient tree. It was here that Inuyasha stopped. He stood before it like he had so many other times and reached out a clawed hand to brush a diamond-shaped indent in its trunk.

" _Inuyasha!" A voice shouted. Inuyasha knew who it was. The woman who betrayed him. His head turned just slightly to look at her when he felt an explosion of pain is his chest. His back slammed against a wide tree and the pink orb he had been holding fell to the ground at its base. She had shot him with her sacred arrow. This couldn't be happening. He looked up at the woman, Kikyo, and saw her eyes filled with the same emotions that would surely be reflected in his._

" _Ki-kikyo, how could- I thought-" His eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep._

 _The next time he awoke, the forest around him had changed. It seemed like the well-manicured village that had vanished in the blink of an eye. He looked down to see the arrow that bound him was gone as well. He searched for the person who had freed him and found amongst the tree roots an old woman dressed in the outfit a priestess lying face down. He could smell death. He jumped down next to her and turned her over. She was old, all right. Her face was wrinkled and worn. Her breath was slow and shaky. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked up into his face._

" _Inuyasha, I am the one that freed ye and I'm also the younger sister of the one that bound ye," she said. It felt like Inuyasha had been sealed only mere moments ago. Could this really be Kikyo's younger sister? How long was he sealed to the tree? Did that mean Kikyo had died?_

" _I don't understand," he said._

" _It's been 70 years since those events. I am old and I feel death's grasp," she coughed. 70 years? Had it really been that long?_

" _Why did you free me?" He asked. If Kikyo had betrayed him and sealed him, why would her younger sister let him go?_

" _I am the only one alive who could. If I had died before ye were released, ye would have been sealed forever. I am not a cruel woman, Inuyasha," she choked on her last word and Inuyasha sensed she didn't have much strength left. "Live well." She breathed a while longer before Inuyasha heard her heart stop and felt her body go limp._

" _What do I do now?" He wondered. His emotions ranged from sadness, to hurt, to anger, all mixed together. He had no idea what had happened. Everything was a blur. One nightmarish blur in which he'd lost the women he loved, 70 years of his life, and the only happiness he had ever known._

He turned and sat back against the tree. The leaves above waved in a slight breeze and the afternoon sun shined down through the breaks. It had been centuries since then. He'd never really sorted out his feelings, instead preferring to put it aside. He tried not to think about it anymore but sometimes the memories just snuck up on him.

Ever since he'd been released, he had wandered without any purpose. He had originally gone to that village to seek the powerful sacred jewel so he could become a full demon. But he had almost become human instead. He still couldn't understand what had happened between him and Kikyo. What had gone so wrong that they turned on each other like that? He had found out from the villagers when he took Kaede's body back to them for burial that Kikyo had died the same day he had been sealed. They said he had been the one to kill her. And she had even taken the sacred jewel with her to the afterlife.

At first he had been driven by a desire for power and acceptance from the world when he sought the sacred jewel. Kikyo had given him new purpose and something else to live for. With both things gone, there was nothing for him. Time had passed slowly. He had travelled all over Japan. He didn't know what he was looking for and he never found it.

Then the world changed. And then changed again. The human population grew and demons were being hunted and more and more were actually being killed. Humans made new weapons, dangerous weapons that could easily kill the less powerful demons and even some of the strongest ones. Millions of them had died when a destructive orb had fallen from the sky and decimated entire cities. The demons had no choice but to seek ways for them to hide. They eventually learned that humans' eyes were easily tricked and all but the weakest demons learned to disguise their appearance. Now they lived among the humans in plain sight.

Inuyasha had adapted to the new world too. He had weathered the changes but it felt more to him like he was merely surviving. He had never felt like he was living. Not since that day.

His nose twitched. It was the familiar smell again. Except this time is was stronger and it was coming towards him.

"Yui, this doesn't look much like a park," a voice said. He knew that voice. It had been so long but he was certain.

"It is! I like it because it looks like a real forest. The perfect place for adventures!" Another, younger voice said. They were coming closer. He could hardly breathe as he heard the footsteps rounding the bend in the path to where he was. Could it be? But how?

And then he saw her. Her hair was different but her features were undeniably the same. It was Kikyo. Her smell confirmed it. She was really here.

Kikyo froze when her eyes landed on him. She looked shocked. It was just like back then. Kikyo and Inuyasha. Standing before of the same tree as they had nearly 500 years ago.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Kagome froze when she saw a person standing in front of a large tree. Ever since she'd been to the shopping mall with Mrs. Fujimoto, her eyes hadn't been the same. She saw those monsters everywhere now. Here, a seemingly abandoned plot of forest, seemed to be no exception. The one before her had the appearance and shape of teenage boy but he had claws and there were dog ears on his head. His old-fashioned red haori contrasted with his shiny white hair and his eyes were a golden yellow. He wasn't even wearing shoes! Unless he was a really good cosplayer, she knew he wasn't human. However, there _was_ something familiar about him. It was like déjà vu. She felt like she'd been here with him before. But there was no way. Perhaps something similar had happened in a dream.

"Ki-kikyo?" He said. Kagome's eyes widened, the creature had a distinctly human emotion on his face. He was looking at her with _love_.

"Um, sorry, you must have the wrong person," she said. She tugged Yui's hand to pull the girl back to where they'd come from.

"Kikyo, wait! Don't go!" Kagome gasped as she felt a clawed hand close around her wrist. She let go of Yui's hand and yanked her wrist out of his grasp.

"I don't know who you think I am but I am _not_ this Kikyo person you're looking for," she huffed as she shoved her finger in face. She didn't care how rude it was. She hated it when people touched her so suddenly. "My name is Kagome. KA. GO. ME." She grabbed Yui's hand again and turned away. "Leave me alone!" She called over her shoulder as she walked back down the path.

This was the last time she let Yui take her somewhere. Why'd she have to meet a creep after her first day of school?

oOoOoOoOoOo

Inuyasha watched as Kikyo-not Kikyo-the girl who called herself Kagome but looked exactly like Kikyo walked away. He wanted to stop her and ask how come she said they're different people when they smell and look the same. It made no sense to him. She'd told him to leave her alone but this was the most interesting thing that had happened to him in centuries. He snorted. No way in hell was he going do that. So being careful to keep quiet and out of sight, he took off after the strange girl.


	4. First Friend

This chapter turned out quite a bit longer than I expected ^^; Oh well, more for you guys, I guess. I think I've really hit my stride with this story! I've got so many ideas for where it's going to go! I hope you enjoyed! Please review if you like it!

* * *

Kagome felt dirt on her ankles as she stomped down the path. Why did this happen to her? She had come to Japan to find out about her origins, _not_ fear for her life and get creeped out by these _things_ that nobody else could see. Even her first day at school which she had been anticipating for months had been tarnished by her new ability.

There had been six of them. SIX. For some silly reason, Kagome hadn't thought these creatures would bother to come to school. When she'd walked into her new classroom, she discovered how horrendously wrong she was. There were three cat-looking humanish ones, two toad people, and one that looked like a teenage boy but had ginger hair, green eyes, and big fluffy tail. The last one looked like trouble simply because she'd caught him slipping a snake-shaped object into a girl's schoolbag. She'd tried not to look at them as she took her seat. They were seated by surnames and, thankfully, it had put her on the opposite side of the room from most of them. She was absolutely bewildered and there was no one to explain anything. She supposed she could approach one of them and ask what the heck they were and how she could see them but she had yet to meet one that wasn't scary, tricky, or a complete creep like the one she'd just run into.

"Kagome?" Yui said. Kagome stopped, startled. She had been so preoccupied with herself, she'd forgotten about her companion. And not only that, but they were already half way home.

"Yes?" She said.

"My hand hurts," the girl said with a pained smile. Kagome had, at some point, curled her fingers into tight fists and crushed Yui's in the process.

"I am so sorry!" Kagome said as she sat back on her legs so she was at the same level as Yui's eyes. "I don't know what came over me!" What had she been thinking? So she had her own problems, big deal. She was supposed to have been responsible for Yui and she had neglected her while stewing on her own issues.

"Oh, it's fine Kagome," Yui smiled. "Sometimes I get so angry, I want to throw a chair!" She then pretended to pick up something heavy and throw it with all her might. Kagome laughed.

"You're a wonderful girl, Yui. You know that?" Yui blushed and gave Kagome a shy smile. She couldn't help herself. Kagome picked the girl up and spun her around before putting her down on the ground again. Where minutes ago she had been feeling miserable and sorry for herself, Yui had made her feel better in a matter of seconds.

Spotting a bakery along the road, she looked down at Yui with mischievous eyes.

"Want to get something? It'll be our secret!" She said. A broad grin spread across Yui's face as she nodded. The pair didn't hesitate as they changed direction from home to delicious goodies.

oOoOoOoOo

"Why don't either of you have an appetite?" Mrs. Fujimoto worried. "Are you feeling sick? Was it school?"

"No, not at all," Kagome assured her. "I'm just not feeling very hungry. I must still be adjusting to the time zone change." Not that Kagome knew whether or not time zones affected appetite. She suspected they didn't but Mrs. Fujimoto took her word for it because she questioned no further.

"I suppose. Oh well, I guess it will sort itself out in time then," she said as she cleaned up Kagome's half-finished plate. She started to feel a little guilty but then caught sight of Yui's small smile and the feeling dissipated. _Just one lie_ , she thought.

"Oh Kagome, how was the bike? Did it ride well?" Mrs. Fujimoto asked. The last gift that the woman had gone to purchase at the mall the day before had been a bicycle. Now Kagome was _sure_ that had been expensive but Mrs. Fujimoto was beaming when she presented it to her so there was no way Kagome could get away with turning it down.

"Yes, it was wonderful! I even got to school with 15 minutes to spare," she replied.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad," she smiled. Her host family never ceased to amaze her with their kindness and generosity. Even little Yui was the nicest child she'd ever met.

"Oh mommy, we met a weird man at the park today!" Yui said suddenly as if she'd just remembered. Kagome herself had almost forgotten the incident thanks to Yui but the anger and annoyance came back with the memory.

"What?" Mrs. Fujimoto exclaimed. "What do you mean? Kagome, did something happen?" Kagome realized what she must have been thinking and while she was certainly creeped out by the incident, she hadn't felt like she was in any danger. Even when he'd grabbed her.

"Ah, it wasn't like that. It was just some boy about my age," she guessed, "and I think he was drunk," _Or on drugs_ , she thought. "He mistook me for someone else and was a little pushy. But that's it. We left without any problems."

"Oh well, still, you should be a little more careful. Perhaps you should go with Mr. Fujimoto the next time you go to the park."

"Ok, I will," Kagome said. She was starting to feel a little tired, so she bid Yui and Mrs. Fujimoto goodnight and retreated to her room. However, after she had gotten ready to sleep, she found herself lying awake and staring at the ceiling. She had been determined to forget what happened at the park but there was something about those amber eyes that haunted her. Perhaps these creatures she was seeing weren't monsters after all. Perhaps they had feelings too. All at once she felt guilty. She'd been repulsed by all the beings she'd seen and acted as if they were nothing but a nuisance. Was she judging them solely based on appearance? If so, she was no better than the kids at her highschool in San Francisco who acted like all Asians were Chinese and ate cats for breakfast.

And the dog-eared boy in the forest, maybe he had just grabbed her because he really missed the person he thought she was. It seemed as if he loved her a lot just from the expression on his face. She blushed a little as she recalled that burning look he'd given her. Even though she knew it was meant for someone else, nobody had ever looked at her like that and it brought out a bit of her girlish side. Since she doubted she'd ever see him again, perhaps she could pretend that it _had_ been meant for her. It would be her own little secret.

She fell asleep to visions of amber eyes.

oOoOoOoOo

Inuyasha had followed Kagome all the way back to the apartment. He watched as the little girl performed some antics that made Kagome laugh. Inuyasha's heart leapt at the sight and Inuyasha growled in anger.

"Keh. She said she's not Kikyo. Why should I get myself all flustered over nothing?" He said to himself. Then he watched as the two girls entered a bakery and left with an armful of sweets. He followed closely from the rooves nearby, leaving his body to move automatically as he gave the pair on the ground all of his attention. They ate the sweets as they walked and kept up a conversation in between mouthfuls. Kagome laughed several more times and each time she did, Inuyasha felt both elated and pissed. The combination was wearing on his nerves. He just wanted to jump down there and shake the girl until she explained herself. He needed to know why she looked just like Kikyo. But he didn't want to scare her or make her angry like last time so he didn't.

When Kagome stopped outside the doors to an apartment building, she and the little girl ate the rest of the treats as quickly as they could. They brushed each other down to get rid of any crumbs and then headed inside. Inuyasha quickly jumped from the roof, onto a fire escape, and down onto the road. He ran swiftly across the street and got inside just in time to see the elevator stop at the 5th floor. That was all he needed to know. He could sniff her out once he was on the same floor as her. But he stopped himself, he should give her time. He didn't think she'd forget the incident at the park anytime soon and judging by how angry she had been, she'd probably be mad at him for a while too. He had waited this long for something to happen, he supposed her could wait a little longer.

oOoOoOoOo

Kagome woke in the morning with a spring in her step and a newly found determination. She was going to approach her non-human classmates today. It was high time she stopped tip-toeing around them and try to understand not only them but what was happening to her.

"Good morning Kagome, I made your breakfast." She was discovering fairly quickly that Mrs. Fujimoto not only spent most of her time at home but was an extremely early riser. How else would Kagome find herself looking at another traditional breakfast for the third morning in a row? She knew from how rarely her dad made it that it took a lot of effort to prepare all this.

"Thanks for the meal!" Kagome said as she dug in. The best way to show appreciation for the effort was to eat with zeal!

After she was done, she grabbed her brown backpack and left after saying goodbye to Mrs. Fujimoto. Yui had already left for school with her father. Since Yui's elementary school was a bit farther than Kagome's high school, he took Yui there by subway on his way to work. Mr. Fujimoto worked for a children's toy company where he helped design and assemble electronics. She had also discovered that while his wife was always home, he was almost always at work.

To the right of the building's entrance was a bike rack where she had locked her generous gift. Hers. It was still weird to think they'd given her a bike. Though she supposed she'd end up giving it back when the year was up anyway since she had no idea how she would get it back to San Francisco. Picturing Mrs. Fujimoto's beaming face, however, she could almost bet that somehow the woman would find a way.

As Kagome rode down the streets, she admired the city. It was so much different from where she grew up but yet she was hard put to say which one felt more like home. Something about Tokyo, about Japan, made her feel like she belonged. Perhaps this was the feeling she had been missing.

The sight of unusual beings didn't disturb her today as she passed them by. Once Kagome had decided on something, you could bet she would carry it through and she had decided she needed an attitude overhaul. She was going to talk to those creatures and get to know them. Maybe even get some answers for herself.

When she arrived at the school gates, she noticed a teacher standing there and stopping those that passed by. Granted, he seemed to be stopping more girls than guys and she watched as he took a ruler to the measure their skirts' length. Before letting them pass, however, he gave each of the girls a wink. There was something distinctly flirtatious about his mannerisms. It made Kagome want to slap him. But seeing as he was a teacher, Kagome just hoped that he wouldn't notice her. As Kagome approached, she tried to look as inconspicuous as possible but no sooner had she almost passed through the gates with her bike, she felt a hand come down on her shoulder.

"Dear lady, where do you think you're going?" The teacher asked. Up close, Kagome noticed that he was quite handsome. He had violet eyes and short black hair with a stylish cut. Kagome could see now why none of the girls had looked uncomfortable. But still, just because he had a pretty face didn't mean he should get away with putting hands near places they didn't belong.

"I'm going to class, sir," she said. He flinched when she said 'sir' and she chuckled inwardly. How vain.

"Of course, but first I must make sure your uniform is up to regulations," he said with a charming smile.

"Could I see the ruler?" She asked.

"I suppose, but whatever for?" He looked at her with confusion. He handed her the ruler and watched as the held it up to her own side.

"See? Just the right length," she handed the ruler back to him. "Have a good day, sir!" And she took off. She allowed herself one glance over her shoulder to see the teacher looking bewildered. It didn't last for long though, he soon returned to the same routine as before. _What a lecher_ , she thought.

oOoOoOoOo

Her classes were _hard._ Kagome had thought that classes would be laid back on the first day like they were at home when teachers spent most of the class introducing their subject and getting the syllabus out of the way. Therefore it was quite unexpected when they not only dived right into learning material but each class gave homework and before the school day was out, she had quite the large stack.

Kagome knew she should have interacted with her classmates while groups of friends were still forming but she hadn't because she was too busy thinking of how to approach her not-so-human classmates without the other ones listening or spreading rumors. She had decided to talk to the cat looking ones because she always thought she had an affinity for the small felines. Of course, that didn't mean squat when it came to these beings but it was a start.

When classes ended for the day and mostly everyone had emptied out into the hallways, she found her opportunity. The cats had stayed behind to chat for a bit around one desk. It took her a moment to steel her nerves. She couldn't help but be a little anxious. This was the first time she was going to talk to them with the exception of Amber Eyes, as she so dubbed the curious boy she'd met in the forest. But if she was going to do this, there was no sense in dawdling. To wait might lose her the chance. So she swung her backpack over her shoulder and approached them.

"Hello," she greeted. She gave them her best smile when they turned to look at her. She tried not to be put off by the unfriendly look in they were giving her and forged on. "My name's Kagome and I couldn't help but notice that you're a bit different from some of our other classmates."

"Different?" The one on the right said. His fur was gray with patches of white. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ah well," Kagome flushed. This wasn't going how she'd hoped. "I just mean, that well, you don't look human."

"You can see that?" The one the left asked. His fur was tan and his voice was deep. It seemed like he was shocked.

"Yes, and I was actually hoping you could explain that to me but you seem as surprised as I am," feeling too uncomfortable to continue, Kagome added, "well, it was nice to meet you. Bye." She turned quickly and walked out into the hallway. Feeling relieved to put a wall between them. Why had the conversation become so awkward?

She was almost to the yard in front of the school when she noticed them. The three cats. They were following her. For some reason, she had no desire to turn around and chat this time. Instead, she suddenly changed direction and dashed towards a building built in traditional Japanese style hoping someone would be inside. Unfortunately for her, the cats seemed to possess the quick speed and reflexes of actual felines. They caught up to her in seconds and cornered her against the wall of the building. There was no one around as most people had gone home. Kagome felt her heart race and she began to sweat nervously. Unlike in the forest, she actually felt like she was in danger. This had been a horrible, awful idea.

"So our disguises don't work on you, eh?" The tan one said. His mouth was pulled into a terrible smirk that also revealed at set of sharp-looking fangs. _Why did they all have fangs?!_

"Yeah and I guess you guys don't like to be bothered so I'll leave you alone now and head home," she said. She attempted a confident smile but it barely made it onto her face before his clawed paw slammed into the wood right next to her head.

"You're a funny priestess," he laughed. Or what she thought was laughing. It sounded like a high-pitched cough.

"Priestess? I'm no—"

"Oh don't lie to us," the gray and white one said. The third one with black and white fur, stood off to the side and just watched. "But you must be a weak one if you can't fend us off."

"Still, I bet she'd be worth eating. Even a little bit of spiritual power can work wonders," the tan one said. His claw still hadn't moved from where he'd nearly decapitated her. Now he dislodged it from the wood and placed it on her neck. Kagome couldn't move. How had this gone so wrong? Was she going to die here?

"Should I squeeze the life out of you slowly or make it qui—"

"Hey! What do you guys think you're doing? Let go of her!" A girl's voice shouted. The cat creatures were startled by the intruder. Even more so when she came into their midst swinging a large wooden sword. The tan cat released Kagome as the sword came down on his head first. He fell backward and crawled away from the girl clutching his head. The white and gray one came close and lashed out quickly trying to knock the sword out of her hands but she was faster. Her movements were a blur as she swept a leg under the cat and knocked him off his feet. She then brought the sword down hard on his head too. The white and grey cat went limp. His companions came forward and dragged him back as fast as they could. Then they turned away and ran. Kagome fell to the ground. What had just happened?

The girl turned and saw Kagome on the floor. She came closer and offered a hand.

"Are you alright?" She asked with a smile. Kagome couldn't believe how calm the girl was when her own heartbeat was still going a mile a minute. She took the hand and was surprised at the strength in the arm that pulled her up.

"I'm...what….I don't…" Kagome tried numerous times to address what had just happened and found she had a distinct lack of words for it.

"I catch those guys bullying people all the time," the girl said causally. "Not the best way to start off the new school year." She called that _bullying_? Did she not see them? Kagome was sure that she had. How else could she have fought them so well?

"Didn't you see them?" She asked. The girl's smile vanished instantly. She looked around cautiously before taking Kagome's hand and leading her to the entrance of the building. She slid the heavy door open and went in dragging Kagome behind her.

The interior of the building was just as traditional as the exterior. It seemed to be one large room with most of the floor open in the middle. There were a few racks of swords just like the girl's up against the wall. Kagome realized it must be a dojo. Probably for the kendo club. There had only been one such dojo near her house in SF but she'd been to enough practices to recognize the practice swords.

As soon as the both of them were inside, the girl quickly shut the door behind them. Then she turned to Kagome with a serious expression.

"Did you tell them you could see them?" She asked.

"What?" Kagome said, surprised by the sudden intensity of her question.

"Did you tell those demons that you could see through their disguises?" She pressed.

"Demons? Is that what they are?" She could finally put a name to the creatures.

"What did you think they were?" The girl asked, puzzled.

"Monsters, I guess."

"Close enough. I suppose you did tell them then," she said with exasperation. "You don't seem to know anything."

"Well, I didn't know what was going on and I had no one to ask," she defended. Even she knew she had made a stupid move but like she was going to admit it.

"Most humans would be too afraid to talk to them," she remarked. "And with good reason."

"How come we can see them though?" She said, trying to change the subject. It was also something she really wanted to know.

"Some people can see through training, like me, and others just happen to because they have spiritual powers, like you."

"Spiritual powers?" The demons had something about similar earlier.

"Well, I'm guessing you haven't trained yourself to see them because you don't have a clue so that just leaves spiritual power. I bet they've just awakened."

"Oh. That does make sense," she said. Still, spiritual powers? She guessed it shouldn't be much harder to believe than demons running around Tokyo.

"Where are you from, by the way? You don't seem to be from around here." _What gave me away?_ She wondered.

"I'm not. I'm from the U.S. I'm studying abroad for a year," she answered.

"Well that explains it. I don't think they have demons in America. The sheer amount of them in Japan must have kick-started your spiritual senses," she said. "You're going to have an interesting year."

"I was really hoping to have a normal year," she responded drily.

"Well, if you start avoiding those demons, you might. But maybe you should thinking about joining the kendo club and learn how to defend yourself, just in case," she slid open the dojo door to let Kagome out. Kagome thought about what had just happened to her.

"You know what? I think I will," Kagome was about to say thank you when realized she didn't know the girl's name. "What's your name, by the way? Mine's Kagome Inoue."

"I'm Sana Goto. But my nickname is 'Sango'," she replied.

"Well thanks Sango," she said as she started walking towards the gates again. "Bye!" She called over her shoulder. She got a brief wave in response before the heavy door was slid shut again and Sango had disappeared from view. She was so glad she'd finally met someone who could explain her predicament. She felt a lot less confused and freaked out knowing that she wasn't alone. Even the thought that she'd probably run into those demons again couldn't put a damper on her mood. She'd just made her first friend in Japan!

oOoOoOoOo

As soon as the door had closed behind her, Sango immediately went to another door in the rear corner of the dojo. Inside were three rows of tall lockers. She stood in front of one of them and began to strip out of her cumbersome kendo armor and donned a lighter, stronger armor from inside her locker. She also took out a long bag filled with practice swords. Amongst the wooden ones in a hidden pocket was a sword that was not for practice. She pulled it out and strapped the real sword to her waist. Then she pulled her hair up into a tighter ponytail near the top of her head and put on an old-fashioned gas mask. There was no way those demons were going to leave this Kagome girl alone. She already suspected the cat demons to be behind a number of disappearances at the school but she considered today's events to be definitive proof. Both things gave Sango reason enough to take them out. Tonight, Sango was going demon hunting.

* * *

That's going to be a fun scene to write. I'm actually starting the next chapter as soon as this is posted. Notice a few familiar characters? XD If Kagome reincarnated, why couldn't all the other humans of the feudal era? Look forward to more character introductions as the story moves on!

In response to the review by 'Guest': There is actually already a fanfiction written that follows the plot of exactly what you described. It's called 'Silver' by Sukii-sama. I actually really enjoy her story so I'd rather not copy it XD I wanted to explore the possibilities of an parallel universe in which Kagome had never been to the feudal era. You'll see in later chapters why this particular idea interested me. Thank you for reviewing!

And thank you to Jazzmon for reviewing as well. I hope I don't disappoint!


	5. More Demons

Another long chapter! I'm am on a roll XD I'm glad the traffic on this story is picking up a little. Thanks for reading! This chapter has a lot happening so I hope you take you time and enjoy it!

* * *

So that whole waiting thing? Inuyasha wasn't very good at it. He'd lasted about an hour staring intently at the apartment building before his patience ran out.

"Grr, there's no way I'm going to get answers just sitting here!" He shouted. There had to be someone who could explain this girl's appearance. His thoughts immediately flitted to one of his father's friends, an old flea demon named Myouga. "Perhaps that annoying tick would know something," he mumbled to himself.

The problem was, Inuyasha hadn't seen him since the last time he'd run into his brother Sesshomaru and that was about 450 years ago. It'd be very difficult for him to find the little bug in a city this size. That is, if he was even in Tokyo. Still, if he knew anything about the flea, it was that he loved tasty blood. And where else could he find a blood bank of this size other than the capital city of Japan?

The largest gatherings of people that Inuyasha knew would probably be at the clubs. Inuyasha took off in the direction of the nearest one and hoped that his nose would do the rest.

oOoOoOoOo

Inuyasha was getting ticked off. He'd been searching high and low for the damn flea but he'd had no luck. He had missed the first day of school too, not that he cared much. He just didn't like dealing with annoying humans harping on him about attendance.

He'd been to almost every club in Tokyo. He was on the verge of giving up and going back to staring at the girl's apartment when he finally caught a whiff of the tiny mongrel.

"Feh. Finally!" He took off in the direction the scent was coming from and soon found himself standing outside, not a club, but a movie theater. He could almost hit himself. He'd been searching in all the wrong places. What a waste of time. Determined not to lose another second, Inuyasha burst into the theater and startled an unfortunate teller at the ticket counter.

"Wou-would you like to see a show?" He asked. Inuyasha normally would have ignored him and walked right in but the trick to blending in with humans is that he sometimes had to act like one.

"Keh. Sure. I want a ticket to whatever show is playing…" he paused to sniff the air and then held up a finger to point to the right, "…in that direction."

The teller looked bewildered but he quickly printed out a ticket that read, "Legend of the Shikon-no-tama" as Inuyasha shoved a handful of bills at him. He tried to return the change but by the time he'd sorted it out, the strange teenager was gone.

Inuyasha found the theater quickly enough. The smell was so strong now, he was sure he'd find the flea in an instant. He walked into the theater just as a loud explosion happened on screen and instinct sent him into a fighting stance at the noise. When it had passed, he growled at himself for being startled. Now where was that dang flea?

oOoOoOo

Myouga was living the life. Now that the human population was so huge, he never had to go hungry. There was no end to the amount of delicious blood he could consume! His favorite dining venue happened to be movie theaters. There he could drink blood and catch up on the latest flicks. It was dinner _and_ a show.

Tonight they were showing a movie that Myouga was particularly interested in as the subject matter directly pertained to him and some choice events that had happened 500 years ago when the Shikon-no-tama disappeared. So far the movie had disappointed him. It was very loosely based on the tale of the jewel and there were so many plot holes and historical inaccuracies that it rendered the tale nothing more than a cheap romance flick. Myouga sighed. Oh how he wished for the good old days when his master, Inutaisho, had roamed the earth. Never a dull moment was had at his side.

His interest lost in the movie completely, Myouga jumped onto a large woman's shoulder and stuck his nose into her neck. _Oh that tasted good._ It wasn't long before the woman slapped at her neck and Myouga fell away. He was just about to jump to the next person when an explosion happened on screen. In the sudden illumination, he noticed a boy with silver hair, dog ears, and a red haori crouched near the entrance. _Master Inuyasha_ , he thought. He was certain it must be he. It had been a long time but Myouga knew the son of his beloved master when he saw him. But what was he doing here? Perhaps to see the movie? _Or…_ he thought as Inuyasha started in his direction _…perhaps he is here for me?_

oOoOoOoOo

Inuyasha made his way down the aisle following his nose. It was relatively easy for Inuyasha to see in the dark but Myouga was such a small target that it was harder for him to use his eyes to find him. Fortunately, the little flea seemed to have noticed him first. He felt a small prick on his neck and slapped the spot. When his hand came away, there was a tiny demon in his palm. The flea looked a lot fatter than Inuyasha remembered but he realized the glutton had probably been gorging himself on human blood for a long time.

"Keh, saved me the trouble," he said. A man nearby shushed him. Inuyasha growled at him and left the theater before the man could really register that a teenage boy had just made the sound of an angry dog.

"Master Inuyasha! What a surprise! It _has_ been a long time," the flea spoke. Inuyasha walked out into the street and jumped to the nearest rooftop so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"I didn't could find you so we to chit-chat, Myouga," he said. His patience was gone. If he had any to start with, it would have vanished after wasting an entire day looking for a flea.

"Of course, Master Inuyasha. What is it that you need?"

"Yesterday I met a girl—"

"Why Inuyasha! Why didn't you say so? I'm sure an experienced flea like myself can solve your woman troubles in a jiffy!" His gave a dirty chuckle and Inuyasha squeezed the tiny demon between two fingers.

"Spare me, Myouga," Inuyasha said. "That's not it."

"Then what..is it..that you…need to know?" Myouga spoke through constricted windpipes. He breathed easier when Inuyasha released him.

"I met a girl yesterday and she looks, smells, and sounds exactly the same as someone I knew 500 years ago." He paused for a painful moment. "Someone who died."

"Could it be the priestess Kikyo that sealed you to the tree?" The flea caught on quick.

"Feh. I could care less about that woman. I'm glad she died," he _said_ but his eyes told otherwise. "I just want to know why there's some girl walking around like an exact replica of her."

"Well Master Inuyasha, there's a rather simple explanation for this occurrence," Myouga said. "I'm surprised you haven't thought of yourself."

"Oh yeah? And what's the simple explanation supposed to be?"

"Master Inuyasha, have you ever heard of reincarnation?"

"Reincarnation? I've heard about it but I don't know anything specific," he said. "Doesn't it involve a soul being born again?"

"Right you are. When a person dies, their soul goes on to the afterlife until such a time where they can reborn in another body, as another person. However, not all souls are granted this opportunity. Only those who have done much good in their lives can be reincarnated."

"So that girl…is Kikyo's reincarnation?"

"If she is indeed how you describe her, than I believe so."

"But what does that mean? Are they the same person or not?" Inuyasha was having a hard time processing this new revelation.

"It is my observation that those who are reincarnated hold all the core values of their past lives but their personalities may vary greatly. For while a soul can be reborn in another body, it is ultimately that individual's experiences in life that will shape them."

Inuyasha was quiet. So this Kagome girl may have Kikyo's soul but she could be a completely different person. If that was the case, was there any reason to involve himself in her life? His questioned had been answered, he should have no more interest in her life.

"Master Inuyasha?" Myouga asked hesitantly. It wasn't like Inuyasha to be so deep in thought.

"Thanks for the help, Myouga," he responded as he set the flea down. "See ya."

Inuyasha didn't know what he was doing anymore. His mind said to drop it. Go back to what he'd always been doing. But what kind of life had that been? She may have been a different person but for the first time since he'd been sealed, he felt like he had a purpose again. And so while his mind tugged him in one direction, his feet carried him in another. Soon he found himself exactly where he had started the night before: waiting in front of an apartment building and hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl who resembled the woman he loved.

oOoOoOoOo

"Show yourselves demons!" Sango shouted. She had finally tracked the three cat demons to a cave in the forest behind the school. Just as she had expected, the lair was littered with human bones. There were even more than she had originally thought. But just when she felt confident she'd cornered them, they decided to play hide-and-seek with her and it was testing her patience. She was getting ready to smoke them out when the tan cat demon lunged for her in the dark. She sensed his movements with the ease of a skilled fighter. She slashed her sword at his middle and heard him hiss in pain as the blade cut through him. She could tell it was deep from the way the sword had slid through his flesh but she knew a seemingly mortal wound wasn't enough to end a demon. She pressed her advantage while the demon was weakened but a second cat demon, the grey and white one, launched himself out of the darkness and tumbled into her. She fell to the ground with the demon on top of her. Unfortunately for him, she had managed to get her blade up and in between them before they'd collided. The force of his own attack plunged the sword even deeper through his chest then she could have with her strength alone. She kicked him off of her and pulled hard on the sword to dislodge it. Now _that_ was a killing blow.

She turned back to face with one she had wounded, conscious of the fact that there was still a third lingering somewhere in the murky depths of the cave. She made quick work of the one before her as she cut off his head with a powerful stroke of her sword. He had been too weak to put up any sort of defense.

"So, it's only you left." She spoke to the air around her. "You seem content to watch your comrades die."

"I prefer to watch first and then act," the third demon said. "It helps me figure out my enemies' weaknesses!"

Sango felt her sword leave her hand as the demon rushed her and purposely went after her sword arm. She clutched at the wound his claws had made where they'd brushed her. They weren't deep but they were enough to cause her considerable discomfort.

"What a coward," she said as she reached for another weapon on her back. It was a small boomerang. Her father had given it to her as a gift in honor of her first kill years ago. It was made of demon bones and had been imbued with spiritual power by a gifted monk. A deadly combination. "You watched your comrades die as you hid yourself away."

"If it keeps me alive, I have no sh—" _There_. She threw her boomerang in the direction of the demon's voice and heard a choking sound as it hit. She reached up and plucked the boomerang out of the air on its return trip. Then she picked up her sword and walked carefully towards the demon. When she got close enough to see him, she smiled. He was dead. Her boomerang had caught him right in the neck, making two decapitations. She almost laughed. She'd been training to slay demons since she was a child. There's no way she'd let a group of cat demons get the better of her. She turned and walked outside the cave where she then paused and took out her smartphone. Tapping the first contact in her favorites, she waited three rings before he picked up.

"Sango," her father said. "What were they this time?"

"Three cat demons. They've got a lot of human bones in their lair. You could probably wrap up quite a few missing persons cases."

"Well, that's a relief. I'm glad they won't be killing anymore. What were they disguised as?"

"Students." She heard an exasperated sigh on the other end.

"That's a lot of paperwork. I'll send your brother over to help you out with clean-up. It looks like I'm going to have a long night," he said.

"Sorry father," she knew he had to be busy but it was the nature of their work and they rarely took breaks.

"It's fine. Good work," she could just picture him smiling proudly as he said it. She hung up the phone and sat down to wait for her older brother. The sun had just touched the tip of the horizon when she'd started on the demon cat's trail. Now it was full on dark and the moon was a bright crescent in the sky. By the time she'd finally get home, it would be well past midnight. She'd be dragging herself through morning kendo practice and she couldn't even think about paying attention in class. She couldn't wait to graduate and start training for the police force like her dad. She wanted to spend all of her time out there protecting the people from the dangers they were so ignorant of. She was in her third year already so it wouldn't be long now but a year might as well be ten to her. She was tired of trying to balance school with demon-hunting.

At the thought of school, Sango recalled her earlier run-in with the strange girl from America with the spiritual powers. _Kagome_ , she reminded herself. The girl would be safe for now. It had been a while since she'd last met a priestess, she mused. Perhaps school might be a little bit more interesting now.

oOoOoOoOo

Kagome woke the next morning and completed the same routine as she did the morning before. She hadn't mentioned anything to the Fujimotos about being attacked by demons at dinner last night and when questioned about the small cut on her neck, she said she'd scratched herself with a pencil. She felt a bit guilty for lying but it was easier then telling the truth. They'd think she was crazy.

When she fetched her bike from the rack outside the building, Kagome got a distinct feeling someone was watching her. She looked carefully around her. Maybe it was just her imagination but also she thought she'd seen a flash of red and silver on nearby rooftop but there was nothing. She shrugged to get rid of the feeling and started her morning ride.

Just as she'd promised Sango, she completely avoided any and all demons without looking at them head on. It was a bit harder than she thought because her curiosity kept wanting to draw her eyes towards them but she was able to resist the temptation lest she wind up in the same situation as yesterday.

 _The cat demons_ , she remembered. What was she going to do about them? Kagome pondered the matter as she got closer to the school. She just couldn't think of a way to avoid them without missing class, something she hated doing. Falling behind in school was one of her worst nightmares. She'd once been absent an entire week when she got her wisdom teeth pulled and she'd drowned in the amount of make-up homework she'd had to do. She was just going to have to deal with them. They wouldn't attack her in the classroom, right?

Kagome was almost to the school when she spotted a familiar head of brown hair. She thought it was Sango but seeing as she'd only met the girl yesterday, she wasn't sure. She got off her bike and walked up next to the girl.

"Sango?" She called. The girl turned and Kagome saw that it was indeed Sango but she had large bags under her eyes and her demeanor was more subdued than yesterday.

"Oh, Kagome. Hi," she said tiredly.

"Are you all right?" Kagome asked, worried.

"Yes, I just had a late night is all," she waved her hand as if to dispel Kagome's concern.

"Oh." Kagome didn't know what to say next and she realized that she hardly knew anything about Sango. The only thing she knew they had in common was that they could both see demons. That wasn't exactly a conversation topic she'd want to bring up in broad daylight with students from her school all over the place so they travelled in silence until they reached the gates.

When Kagome caught a glimpse of a certain teacher up to his shenanigans for the second day in a row, Kagome groaned.

"What is it Kagome?" Sango was immediately on alert.

"Oh, it's just that lech who calls himself a teacher again," Kagome explained.

"What are you talking about?" Sango asked, confused.

"You didn't run into him yesterday on your way to school?"

"I usually go in early for morning kendo practice. Today I overslept."

"Oh, well, it's that teacher there," she pointed to the man and the pair watched as her held the ruler up against the girl's skirts, his gaze lingering a little too long on their rear ends. Kagome looked at Sango and saw her fists were clenched.

"If he comes anywhere near me," Sango left the threat dangling. Kagome really hoped for the teacher's sake that he stayed clear of them. The two were walking past the man when suddenly the teacher was standing in front of them.

"Good morning, sir," Kagome said, taking pleasure from his wince. "There's no need the check our skirts' length every day. It's not like I'm going to run out and by a shorter skirt if you don't." She wanted him to just let them go. Sango didn't look to be in the mood for any sort of harassment.

"What a pity! You're a sight for sore eyes," he said. He gave his charming smile again but Kagome didn't change her expression even one bit. "But please, call me Mitsumori-sensei. Enough with the 'sir."

"Sorry sensei, I was just being polite," she said. When she saw Sango fidgeting impatiently, she added quickly, "we're just going to go to class now." She tried to walk around him but he blocked them again.

"But who's your lovely friend? I haven't seen her before. I need to make sure her uniform is up to standards," he said as came closer.

It happened so quick that Kagome couldn't even try to stop her. As the teacher came to stand right in front of Sango, the girl had reached out and slapped him across the face. A lot of heads turned in their direction at the sound and Kagome noticed a shocked silence had fallen over the school yard.

"Sango, he's a _teacher,_ " Kagome squeaked. Said teacher was clutching his face where Sango's hand hit and she could see the redness between his fingers. She'd felt the strength in Sango's arms. That must have _hurt_. Mitsumori-sensei just stared at Sango, shocked.

"I don't care. He's a pervert and he needs a lesson in respect," she said. She didn't even wait for the man to say anything before she walked off. Kagome glanced worriedly at the teacher before taking off after Sango. She really hoped Sango didn't get in trouble for this. She'd hate to lose her first friend because of a lecherous teacher.

oOoOoOoOo

Kagome parted with Sango at the lockers just inside the main doors where students left their shoes. It seemed like Sango's exhaustion had disappeared as she stormed off toward the third-year classrooms with her back ramrod straight and furious. Kagome shook her head. Her new friend had some temper.

Now, as Kagome stood outside of her own classroom, she let those thoughts go as she tried to steel her nerves. How would they react to seeing her? They hadn't looked very happy when they took off yesterday. Would they take it out on her? When Kagome had finally had enough of her anxious thoughts, she slid open the door and went in.

The cat demons weren't there. Their three seats were empty. Confused, Kagome went in and took her seat. Sango had hit them pretty hard, maybe they were recovering? But she wondered if demons healed quicker than humans. Would it make sense for such powerful creatures to take a day off because of a bump on the head?

Kagome got her answer when the teacher walked in with a somber face.

"It seems that three of your classmates have decided to drop out of school," she said. Drop out? Had Sango scared them that much? Wow, her friend was fearsome.

Kagome looked to the other demons in the class to see their reactions. The toad demons looked scared for some reason and the fox looking one seemed uninterested. The difference may her wonder if perhaps Sango might have a reputation around school with their demon classmates.

oOoOoOoOo

Kagome had resolved to talk to some of her classmates during the lunchbreak now that her demon problem was taken care of but it was proving more difficult than she'd hoped. As she'd feared, a lot of them had already formed groups based on mutual interests and she couldn't seem to find one that she liked. She didn't really want to spend her year abroad being the class outcast but if she couldn't make any more friends, she'd just have to stick with talking to Sango outside of class.

Resigning herself to isolation, Kagome ate at her desk by herself. That is, until she felt someone standing over her. She looked up into a pair of green eyes shaded by unkempt ginger bangs. It was the fox demon. She put a conscious effort into keep her heart rate slow and not give herself away.

"Hello," she greeted. "Is there something you need?"

"Hi, my name's Shippo. It's nice to meet you!" He said with a goofy smile. He stuck out a hand for her to shake. Kagome hesitated for a second but he seemed friendly enough so she took it. Her hand felt really warm all of a sudden and she looked down to see that her hand was on _fire_.

"Ah!" She yelped. She automatically bashed it on the desk trying to put it out. Why would he set her hand on fire?! But then she realized that it wasn't actually hurting her. Her hand was a little warm, but that was it. In fact, her fingers hurt more from banging them on the desk than anything else. She turned to look at the fox demon and with increasing annoyance she noticed that he was doubled over in laughter.

"What kind of trick was that?" She demanded. It seemed to take forever for the demon to stop laughing and stand up straight. But he still kept an amused grin on his face.

"Fox fire," he said. "I was testing to see if you could see it."

"See it?" _Oh no_ , she thought. She'd given herself away again. But in her defense it looked like her hand was really on fire. She'd just reacted instinctively.

"Yeah, I heard you talking with the smelly cat demons yesterday. You can see us." he said. He'd heard her? What now? Was he going to attack her?

"Yeah, I can see. So what?" She tried to act tough. There were a decent amount of kids in the classroom at the moment so she didn't think he'd try anything.

"Oh nothing, I just thought it was interesting is all." He said. "And I couldn't help noticing that you were sitting all alone."

"What does it matter to you?"

"Well, I'm not very fond of befriending humans when they can't even see me. But for someone like you, I wouldn't mind being your friend." He had a silly grin on his face but Kagome was surprised to find sincerity behind the words.

"But you're a demon! Don't you want to, I don't know, eat me or something?" She asked. The fox, Shippo, laughed.

"Not all demons go after humans, you know. I just like playing tricks on them," he said with a wink.

"Well that was a mean trick," she said, still a little annoyed. Especially since her fingers were still throbbing.

"Ah, sorry, sometimes I can't help myself," he shrugged apologetically. She thought for a second. She really didn't want to be alone but she wasn't sure about befriending a demon. There was chance it could come back to bite her.

As if he read her thoughts, he placed a toy snake on her desk and said, "Here, a peace offering."

"Thanks, I guess," she said. It was a strange gift for sure but a gift nonetheless. Finally making her decision she said, "Sure, we can be friends."

"Excellent!" He said. He had a really cute smile, she thought. He felt faintly like a younger brother to her. "Then you'll have to forgive me really easily, ok?"

Before she could figure out what he meant by that, the bell rang and everyone went back to their seats. As the teacher walked in to start class, Kagome looked down at her gift and found that it was no longer a toy snake but a real, slithering, hissing snake. She jumped out of her seat with another yelp and as the whole class turned to stare at her, the snake had already changed back into a toy.

"Sorry," she said with embarrassment. She took her seat again as her face flamed. The class turned back towards the front with a few looks over their shoulders as if to say 'crazy girl'. Kagome was pissed. She looked over to see Shippo silently chuckling at his desk. Oh when she got her hands on that brat! She was going to choke the life out of him!

* * *

So by now you must have realized that Sango and Miroku have reincarnated. However, both Kagome and Inuyasha had never met them in the feudal era so it's like they're actually more like new characters than old. I decided to change their names a bit because that's what happened to Kagome when she reincarnated from Kikyo. Mitsumori-sensei is Miroku, if you haven't guessed. There's actually another reincarnated character that I've already introduced you to. I wonder how many people caught it? Perhaps I was too subtle? Brownie points if you figure it out! Well, I hope you liked this chapter! I'll start on the next one later today!


End file.
